, as that there _might_ possibly be a survivor of
the tragedy still existing. Yet, the idea having been mooted, he could
not bring himself to say the word that would leave the floating
charnel-house unexplored. He therefore appealed to von Schalckenberg to
say whether there were any means, either by the use of disinfectants or
otherwise, whereby an examination of the ship might be rendered
possible; and upon the latter answering in the affirmative, it was
ultimately arranged that Mildmay should go alone on board her, and learn
what he could, but that he was to bring nothing away from the ship.
"The skipper" accordingly, following the professor's instructions, went
below and changed into the oldest and most worthless garments that he
could find; after which he joined the worthy German in the latter's own
cabin, and there imbibed a certain draught, and otherwise underwent
elaborate preparations for his projected expedition, that were
guaranteed to render him personally immune.

Meanwhile, Sir Reginald and Lethbridge got out, lowered, and brought to
the gangway, one of the boats, into which Mildmay presently stepped, and
pushed off for the strange ship.

He was absent a full hour, or more, and he had scarcely reached the
empty deck of the _Flying Fish_ upon his return, when those who had been
watching his movements from the dining-saloon ports saw thin wreaths of
blue smoke go soaring upward between the masts from the two ends of the
stranger. Mildmay had carefully set her on fire.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

CAPTAIN SILAS BARKER OF THE AMY PELHAM.

Pausing only long enough to hoist the boat to the davits, the
adventurous sailor descended to one of the bathrooms, where the
professor awaited him with a medicated bath already prepared, which was
to remove from his person every germ of infection that he might
perchance have brought with him from the ship. And the moment that he
was safely immersed in this, and further seen to be vigorously applying
it to his face, hair, and beard, von Schalckenberg made the rejected
clothing into a bundle--which he carefully wrapped in a cloth saturated
with disinfectant--and, carrying it up on deck, dropped it overboard.
The result of these somewhat drastic, but perfectly justifiable
precautions was, that when Mildmay emerged, fully clothed, from the
bathroom, the professor announced him to be as clean and wholesome as
any of the others of the party.

Meanwhile, Sir Reginald, havin